puravida_mama
I always imagined myself as a mother. It was one of the few things I could see clearly. I envisioned passing the wisdom I acquired along the way on to my little one. But what I've come to discover is that I am the one learning from my child. He is my greatest teacher. Here are 5 things I've learned from my 2 year old.
So often I am in my head, planning for tomorrow or mulling over yesterday. I look down and this kid is right here, right now. He doesn't miss out on the abundance of this moment, whether he's roaring with his dinosaurs or flailing himself on the ground because he doesn't want "those shoes". His only focus is what is in front of him. About a year ago, we were walking through a beautiful, new spot. I was thinking about future hikes to plan; he was in the carrier, making this whooshing sound. I couldn't figure it out at first. Then I realized, he was making the glorious sound of the wind through the leaves of the trees. He was completely present and I was missing the perfection. Ugh, you are so wise my son.
This kid is a play master. He flies around the house proclaiming, "I Batman!" He chases birds down the shoreline as if he was one of the flock. A puddle never goes unsplashed. Beds and couches double as trampolines. Oh, and then there's toys. Toys everywhere. Often, I find myself caught up in the nonsense of life. Cleaning up those toys. Work stress. Doing. The. Dishes. Only to look down at my little man. Tugging away at my legs, coyly pleading, "Play me momma." It stops me cold. I get down on the floor. And I play. I am always Superman; he's got Batman locked down. Puddles get splashed in. Birds get chased. Its magical in those moments when we lock eyes and enter into that space of play. I love it there. And I'm reminded that life really is one big playground.
This one is such a profundity. My little man will take a crayon, scribble all over the page, proudly hold it up for me to take in, exclaiming, "Look Mom. Wolf!!!" He will run around howling at an imaginary moon. And he believes it. There's a wolf. He is said wolf. And the sun has quickly waned, setting stage for the howling symphony. Life is not a set of objective events which garner our prescriptive reactions. We have choices. We get to choose how we react to the unfolding of our journey. We get to see what it is we want to see. I have to be taught this one over and over again. My little buddha baby reminds me on the daily.
He knows what he wants. When he wants it. And you'd better get out of his way. This kid is brave beyond measure. It scares me sometimes. But then I remember how hard life is and how courageous you need to be to go confidently in the direction of your dreams. He never feels not good enough. That's not part of a 2 year-old's constitution. He climbs to the top of the lifeguard stand and he lunges down the hill, rolling, laughing, tumbling all the way down. At the bottom, he jumps up, screams with joy, and climbs back up to the top. I need to own this attitude. No fear. There is nothing to fear in this moment if you're just playing, right? Teach me my three-foot sage.
This kid. HE LOVES. He loves hard. He doesn't love because I cook for him, or wipe his bottom clean. He doesn't love because I've given up my apartment to become his kingdom. He doesn't love because I spend my entire paycheck on him. He doesn't withhold love because I make him brush his teeth or because I said no to the park yesterday. He loves because he is present in this moment. He loves because he knows life is a playground. He loves because he chooses what he sees. He loves because he is living the life he imagines. He loves because he is love. He has deepened the trenches of my heart to a level I never knew existed. He has softened my scar tissue. I still have a lot to learn from his supreme love. And I'm ready for it all.
